The animals in “The Eternal Jungle” were made from leftover bits of Hermès leather. Thibault Zimmermann, of French art studio Zim & Zou, explained to Co.Create how it was all done.

It started with the “Leather Parrot,” the bird bust created with leftover offcuts from Hermès workshops by artists/designers Lucie Thomas and Thibault Zimmermann of French art studio Zim & Zou. Based on the duo’s “Cabinet de Curiosités” project, the luxurious fashion brand commissioned a single, meticulously arranged parrot for an exhibition arranged by designer Hilton McConnico.

Looking at the finished Leather Parrot, it’s no mystery why the brand wanted to go further with the idea. “When we talked to Hermès, they said we had carte blanche, with no real recommendations other than highlighting their products and conveying the same values,” Zimmerman says. “We were very happy to have some freedom in a project like that, so we had a lot of fun working on it.”